Empire of Brazil (I
The origins of an independent Brazil come out of the chaos of the Napoleonic Wars. Pedro, the younger brother of the King of Portugal, was sympathetic to the Napoleonic ideals. Due to the particularly reactionary views of the King of Portugal, Pedro was banished to South America. However, he did not take this quietly, and instead he spread his liberal ideals across South America, culminating in formation of the National Assembly of Brazil and the declaration of an independent Brazil, with power shared between the democratically elected National Assembly and Pedro, who was appointed as Emperor, a clear insult to the Portuguese Monarchy, which at that time only held the title of King. The ensuing war of independence was a war of attrition, which grew continually expensive for the Kingdom of Portugal as time went on. However, the King refused to accept the independence of Brazil. However, by the time the King died in 1826, Brazil was in control of nearly all of Portuguese territory in South America and had received recognition from several other states. The new King, Michael Peter IV, though unsympathetic to the ideals of colonial independence, was willing to sign a peace with his uncle. This is probably because Michael Peter was raised by Pedro as a young child. The newly independent Brazil had a system of government where executive power was held by the Emperor, but legislative power was held by the National Assembly. They shared power quite well, and the new Empire developed rapidly, off of the profits from it's valuable exports. Pedro I's reign ended in 1841, upon his death. His son assumed the throne, as Pedro II. The reign of Pedro II is often regarded as the Golden Age of Brazil. Several events transpired that made Brazil the dominant power in South America, and an important economic power in the world. In 1848, a war broke out in South America over control of Acre and the border between Brazil and Bolivia, which led to Brazil establishing protectorates in Peru and Chile in 1853. The protectorates were mutually beneficial, as a stable government was brought to Peru and Chile which led to development there, and also further economic growth in Brazil. Between 1853 and 1874, the history of Brazil is mostly a quiet story of expanding Brazilian economic interest around the globe and the rise of South America as a dominant economic market. However, this did not come without problems in Brazil, as the institution of slavery still dominated Brazilian agriculture, which mostly focused on coffee. In 1874, agriculture comprised less than half of all Brazilian economic output for the first time in it's history. Due to the development of other markets, Brazil was less competitive in agriculture on the global market, even with it's slave labor. Due to these reasons, in 1874, Pedro II announced an emancipation proclamation, in which he declared that slavery was illegal in Brazil and all slaves must be liberated within ten years. The emancipation was fully completed in 1877, ahead of schedule, because the military enforced the proclamation after a failed attempt to depose of Pedro II in late 1876. As a result of this failed coup, Pedro realized that the future of Brazil must be democratic, and began to turn his executive power over to the Prime Minister, which until that point was a position that was often times left vacant due to the lack of power it had. The Prime Minister became appointed by the National Assembly and approved by the Emperor, and served a term of 6 years, unless he was recalled by the National Assembly, which could be done on occasion, or if he declared an election be held early. Full male suffrage was also introduced, regardless of race or religion, and a bill of rights was passed. Due to the economic reforms that accompanied the emancipation and the initial success of the fully democratic government, Brazil experienced another period of great prosperity. Pedro II died in 1893, and with him died the Golden Age of Brazil. His son, Juan, assumed the throne as Dom Juan I. Shortly after the death of the Emperor, Brazil experienced an economic crash which caused an economic depression that lasted from 1894 until the start of the Great War. Successive governments failed to address the fundamental economic concerns, and the economy of Brazil was shrunk for most of the period. The start of the Great War proved beneficial to Brazil, as the sudden boom in demand for war material provided a market that Brazilian industry could enter, and for the length of the Great War, Brazil became a top producer of munitions, and the economy grew again. The immediate period following the Great War was also prosperous, as many workers had lots of money and improved their standard of living, as the economy transitioned towards normal production. It was during this post-war miracle that Juan I died, and Carlos I assumed the throne, in 1923. In 1925, the underlying problems that plagued Brazil once again emerged, and with them so did the nationalist movement led by Getúlio Vargas and his Integralismo Brasil. Vargas nationalist party gained a super-majority the National Assembly in 1928, and with support of the Emperor, suspended the constitution and established a one-party state with Prime Minister Vargas as dictator in only a month. Vargas used his new power to crush a rebellion in Spanish speaking Chile and Peru, and he ended the protectorate system and placed them under direct rule from Rio de Janeiro. A new constitution was ratified a year later which established Vargas as President of the Empire of Brazil, and transformed Brazil into a one-party state under Integralismo Brasil. Vargas also introduced the Estado Novo ideology, which promoted an economic policy of direct government intervention, and emphasis on social welfare, populism, centralization, and nationalism. Despite these policies which greatly benefited the poor in Brazil, the Vargas government is staunchly anti-communist. Category:I&B4 Category:Countries